4 LOVE TOKENS
Valentine’sDay decor andmore
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CA RN IVAL CR AZ E
Purple, green andgold home accentstocelebrate theseason
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GA LENT IN E’ S DAYSOI REE
Tips forhosting a memorablenight with your best friends
Ginghampinkdoorhanger|
$52from Home Malone (629 N. Carrollton Ave.,504-324-8352; 4610 Magazine St., 504-766-6148;homemalonenola.com)
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French Grafti hand towel|
$26from TheO.W. Home (3719Magazine St., 504-547-1554; theoccasionalwife.com).
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Acrylicfluteglasses |
$35for setofsix from Sparkleand Swag (508 Metairie Road,Metairie; 634 Orange St., SuiteB,504-5105838;sparkleandswag.com)
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Needlepoint pillow |
$104 from Judy at the Rink (2727 Pr ytania St., 504-891-7018; judyattherink.com).
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Color blocktaper candle set|
$20eachfrom Phina (425 Harrison Ave.,504-571-5169; 2561 Metairie Road, Metairie, 504-8271605;3717Veterans Blvd., Metairie, 504-888-4141; phinashop.com)
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BeatrizBall Encantoheart mini bowl |
$42from Little Miss Mufin
Spicy Hear tbeats candy|
$10from Little Miss Mufin (766 Harrison Ave.,504-482-8200; 3307 Severn Ave.,Metairie, 504-455-1444; shoplittlemissmufin.com) PH OT
Towel|
$6.99from NOLA Gifs &Decor (5101W.Esplanade Ave.,Suite 1, Metairie,504-407-3532; nolagifsanddecoronline.com)
Pinkbow cocktail napkins| $10from Sparkle &Swag
Glassmug |
$25from TheOgden Museum Store (925 Camp St., 504-539-9650;shop. ogdenmuseum.org)
Decoupageceramic hear tdish|
$38from Little Miss Mufin
SweetGrace floraldifuser |
$34.00 from Gordon’s (4308 WaverlySt.,Metairie, 504-354-2248; gordonshomedecor.com)
Watermelon lacqueredtray|
$204 from Eclectic Home (8211Oak St., 504-866-6654; eclectichome.net)
Carnival
Purple,green andgold home accentsto celebratethe season
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Beadsand Blingflag |
$38from MJ’s (1513MetairieRoad, Metairie, 504-835-6099; mjsofmetairie.com)
Craw fishdecor |
Chip anddishdip |
$48from Little Miss Mufin (766 Harrison Ave.,504-482-8200; 3307 Severn Ave., Metairie, 504-455-1444; shoplittlemissmufin.com).
Iris tray |
$42from Susie’s Boutique.(426 Huey PLongAve., 504-884-4718; shopsusiesboutique.com)
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Bedazzled box|
$9.99from Gordon’s
$12.99 from Gordon’s (4308Waverly St., Metairie, 504-354-2248;gordonshomedecor.com).
Swig strawtoppers |
$15from Alice& Amelia (4432Magazine St., 504-502-6206; shopaliceandamelia.com).
Dancing womansign|
$9.99from NOLA Gifs &Decor (5101 W. EsplanadeAve., Suite1,Metairie, 504-407-3532; nolagifsanddecoronline.com)
Shot glass|
$20from Alice&Amelia.
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Chip anddip plat ter|
$72from Susie’sBoutique
Pillow |
$36.99 from Gordon’s.
Fleurdelis hand towel|
$11from Forever NewOrleans
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Streetcar plat ter|
$28from ForeverNew Orleans (606 RoyalSt.,504-510-4813; 700Royal St., 504-586-3536;311 Chartres St., 504-962-6866; shopforeverneworleans.com).
Bedazzledcup |
$49.99 from NOLA Gifs &Decor
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King cake hear tdoor hanger |
$56from Susie’s Boutique
Carnival time door hanger |
$52from Home Malone (629 N. Carrollton Ave.,504-324-8352; 4610 Magazine St., 504766-6148;homemalonenola.com).
$38from Alice&Amelia.
$16from Alice&Amelia
$12from Phina (425 Harrison Ave., 504-571-5169;2561MetairieRoad, Metairie,504-827-1605; 3717 Veterans Blvd., Metairie,504-888-4141; phinashop.com).
$39from TheO.W. Home (3719Magazine St., 504-547-1554; theoccasionalwife.com).
S OI RÉ E
Tips for host ing a memorable night with your best fr iends
“Galentine’s Day” ofcial ly beca me a pa rt of pop cu lt ure back in 2010, when fictional character Leslie Knope on “Parks and Recreation” organized a ladies-only brunch around Valentine’s Day and gave out hear tfelt gifs to her friends, without a romantic interest in sight.
The episode resonated with viewers. Perhaps we’ve all become sick of the pressure of Valentine’s Day and needed an antidote: a festive but low-key way to show appreciation to people you love, whether it’s romantic or not. Fifeen years later, the brainchild of Amy Poehler’s character is still an unoficial holiday, typically held Feb. 13.
Anything goes on this day, really, but a classic night in may appeal to New Orleanians in the middle of Carnival season. It’s the perfect excuse to get cozy with their closest friends, huddle up on the couch and celebrate their besties.
And that, of course, star ts with assembling some high-quality snacks
In fact, communications professional Margaret Tuskey turned that skill into a side hustle. She star ted creating grazing boards at home during the Covid pandemic lockdowns. Soon, she was taking them over to porch hangs with friends and other small, outdoor gatherings
When a friend agreed to Tuskey her make a board for a gathering last Thanksgiving, Board Games Nola was born Today, Tuskey creates customized boards for parties and celebrations and accommodates all sorts of budgets and requests.
For Galentine’s Day, she says her boards will be especially decadent and feminine, featuring ar tisanal cheeses, salty cured meats, Marcona
by MELA NIE WA RN ER SPENCER
Tough it’s frequently associated with Valentine’s Day and romance, Febr uary is also a great month to celebrate friendships.
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OTO BY JA CO B LU ND / GE TT Y IM AG ES
trufle almonds, homemade chocolate-covered strawberries and even pink macarons
Tuskey says little treats are a must, and she frequently gets inspired by visiting local shops and just seeing what’s fresh that day.
When making one at home, she recommends including as many ingredients on a board as a budget allows, “ofering little tastes of many diferent flavors.”
She emphasizes that boards can be afordable without sacrificing quality.
“They have a fancy name, but I want people to think of charcuterie boards as approachable and not something terribly stuf y, saved for only the chicest parties,” she says
“At the end of the day, it’s meat and cheese … and pickles, briny pickles.”
As an avid hostess, Tuskey says Galentine’s Day lends itself to Valentine’s staples such as chocolate-covered strawberries and lighthearted activities, like getting decked out with sparkles from a glitter bar, like Glitter Up Nola, or having a pizza-making party.
For locals, it’s also a great opportunity to get together and make Mardi Gras headdresses or other costume pieces, whether that’s freestyling it or calling in the pros for a workshop.
Floral designer Destiny Pinson of Doris Ione ofers “flower parties” where groups get together to create floral crowns or centerpieces.
She says she can accommodate anywhere from five to 15 people for floral crown or centerpiece workshops, which run about an hour and a half Guests work for about an hour, with time built in at the beginning for champagne or cocktails and mingling
If you’re setting up to host friends at home, one easy update is to incorporate faux or fresh flowers into your decor.
For Galentine’s Day centerpieces, Pinson recommends pink compote bowls with early spring flowers.
“Sweet peas, tulips, lilac garden roses, fresh mint are some of my favorites,” Pinson says. She advises sticking to a color scheme Traditional Valentine’s Day colors like pink, red, gold and silver
work especially well this time of year. Encourage friends to dress on the color theme, make it a comf y pajama night in or do both
Candy hear ts with messages, chocolates and Galentine’s Day cards are easy party favors that can double as tablescape decor, and sweet DIY or store-bought garland with messages of love will add to the festive vibes. And don’t forget to add candles.
“I love Caspari plates and napkins for decor, they are upscale and festive while making cleanup a breeze,” Tuskey says.
Background music is also important. Tuskey says her playlist for hanging out with girlfriends typically features Frank Sinatra and old-school crooners mixed with ’80s classics.
For other activities, she likes to pop in a rom-com or jump into a game of Mahjong or bunco, but simply catching up over an extra glass of wine or cocktail can make for the perfect evening in.
A charcuterie board doesn’t have to break the bank , and should include samples of many diferent flavors
St. Galentine Cocktail
Tr y this light, citrusy Lemondrop-meets-Sazerac cocktail created for Gambit by Erin Aubert, bar manager at Old Absinthe House.
INGREDIENTS
► 1 ½ Stoli Citrus or your favorite citrus vodka
► ½ ounce Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
► ½ fresh lemon, juiced
► 1 sugar cube
► Splash of Herbsaint
► Fresh lemon, cut into wedges or wheels
► Luxardo cherry for garnish
► Ice
INSTRUCTIONS
Chill your prettiest rocks glass with ice and set aside. Mix Stoli, Luxardo liqueur, simple syrup and ice in shaker tin and shake until well combined. Dump ice in rocks glass and rinse or spritz with Herbsaint. Pour the shaker contents into your glass. Spear a lemon wheel or wedge and a Luxardo cherry on a cocktail spear and lay across the rim of the glass for garnish.
Note: To make this alcohol-free, use fresh lemon, simple syrup and cherry and anise bitters in soda water. Don’t shake, since it’s soda water, but you can toss back and forth gently between two shakers. Use a splash of maraschino juice to change the color.
